Zarh-Fehn looked out at the handful of boats which were presently being loaded with salted fish and bread, plenty for at least the week's journey that faced the group. Most people of the presently large village were busied loading all manner of things: seeds, tools, clothing, weapons, and all manner of things one would want to build a new home. For that was exactly what these boats were being loaded to do. Dhoyalam had grown larger than its waters and fields could support, and it was time to send some of their number off to establish their own home on new shores.

Today, Zarh-Fehn was one of two Watum in Dhoyalam, but tomorrow the village would no longer be his home. He had been nominated as Watum while the current leader was still young, as it was to be his duty to lead many of the family's number to found a new village in the west, where the forests were lusher and the rains plentiful. Tomorrow at the break of morning he and over a dozen others would wish farewell to the people of Dhoyalam, never again to bear the name Dhoya.

This wasn't a time of sadness however. Ties with Dhoyalam would not be broken, as the two would come together for trade, festivals, and their respective naming ceremonies. Rather than being seen as a time of severing bonds, this was seen as an opportunity to spread the song of the Abanye to new shores, and to improve the prospects of all who worshiped the Twins. Zarh-Fehn's task was not to be easy, but he was ready to lead those placed under his care to a bright new future.

As the elegance of the Rizukan (family boat) increased, many Abanye villages became aware of how few strong, tall trees grew on their shores. Villages had always split when their size grew too large, sending some of their number to establish a new settlement, but now many of these new clans had begun heading west, past the current extent of Abanye settlements. For west of the current Abanye lands was a peninsula struck by regular rains, which was home to forests of tall, robust trees. Within a few generations, Rizukan better than before began to enter Abanye waters, built by these young villages using these superior trees.

Map